The damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic to our children's education has been large and lasting. Now ESSER -- a $190 billion investment in combating the damage -- has ended. Where does that leave us, and what can we learn from it?

It's estimated that our students lost, on average, half a grade level in math and a third of a grade level in reading during the pandemic. Federal Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief put much-needed funds into the hands of schools and districts to help their students catch up. By providing the flexibility to tailor interventions and try out-of-the-box approaches, ESSER funds worked well, with students closing about a third of the gap in math and a quarter of the gap in reading by 2023.

But will this success continue? As of Sept. 30, all ESSER funds not already allocated must be returned. ESSER funds paid for a range of effective programs, innovative approaches and critical labor costs. Now that these funds are gone, there are gaps to fill. Moving forward, state education departments, districts and schools will have to get creative and take new approaches to identifying needs and distributing funds.

On the move: Districts are locking in new leaders

At DonorsChoose, we helped state education departments distribute more than $100 million in ESSER funds. Partnering with hundreds of districts across the country, and being used by teachers in nearly 90% of public schools, gave us a unique view of the program and its impact.

Here are some lessons from ESSER that can help states, districts and schools get the most out of their existing dollars and build partnerships that can help expand their funds going forward.

Flexible, classroom-by-classroom interventions

More than just raw dollars, ESSER funds were a flexible tool that schools could use to target the specific needs of their students. ESSER allowed schools and districts to be responsive to the on-the-ground information they were getting from school sites and teachers and to address their students' specific needs.

The funds could be used for everything from targeted tutoring, expanded instructional time and purchasing educational technology to mental health support, meeting the needs of students from low-income communities and much more.

As states and districts look to fill the hole left by ESSER, maintaining that flexibility is key. Rather than forcing all funding recipients to focus on one specific approach, we must allow the needs of students to dictate what is supported. That means assessing needs at a school-by-school or classroom-by-classroom level and tailoring spending to support targeted interventions and out-of-the-box approaches that make the biggest possible impact on learning loss for the targeted students.

Teacher perspectives and ideas

Teachers have a direct view of student needs, enabling them to speak directly to what their specific students need to succeed, whether that's classroom supplies, grade-appropriate reading materials, classroom technology or even snacks and other basic needs to help them focus on their studies.

This direct knowledge allows teachers to tailor innovative approaches for their students. For example, a study with high school educators showed that teacher-led professional development positively impacts students' final exam scores. Enabling teachers to identify and uplift the needs of their students -- and supporting those needs once identified -- can have a major impact.

This ground-level perspective on student learning can be hard to gain at the state or district office, particularly in larger districts, so it's vital to open up more direct channels where teachers can uplift their needs and ideas. Embracing teacher-led project planning doesn't just benefit students, either.

At a time when there are 55,000 unfilled teaching positions across the country and teachers are leaving the profession at increasing rates, teacher retention is crucial. But when teachers are listened to and can choose resources tailored to their students, they are more likely to stay in the profession.

Partnering for student success

Addressing learning loss in a post-ESSER world requires states, districts and schools to expand how they raise funds and get those dollars into classrooms. But they don't have to do it alone. In every community, local families, businesses, and funders want to support programs that improve the lives and futures of children and students.

But to do that, they need to be engaged. We help hundreds of districts across the country expand their philanthropic engagement, and we've seen how telling the stories of student needs and innovative programs also highlight ways to give and build successful partnerships.

Private sector funders and partners can often move nimbly and tap into their existing tools to help quickly target and support individual schools and classrooms. For example, the Credit Union of Colorado Foundation is funding financial literacy resources requested by teachers across 12 Colorado counties this fall. Since 2021, 3M, which is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, has funded $800,000 in STEM resources for teachers in St. Paul, North St. Paul and Maplewood who directly outlined what their students need to learn.

Our children's futures, our economy and our nation depend on closing the COVID learning loss gap. While we've made progress, much work must still be done to ensure our kids are best positioned to succeed. Filling the breach that ESSER has left requires all of us -- states, districts, schools, families, funders, and the private sector -- to work together to support flexible approaches that put students' needs first.